General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
The Books-a-Million here has both Martial Power and Draconomicon on the shelves. Since I pre-ordered MP from Amazon, I'm not too worried about it (although I do plan on glancing through the Rogue section and the feats, mm yummy).
What I plan on doing is sitting down and thumbing through the Draconomicon.
Anyone out there have specific things they'd like me to look for/remember?
Here's what I remember from yesterday:
Purple Dragons: Controllers that do psychic damage.
Various Planar dragons (Faerie Dragon, Shadow Dragon, Pact Dragon (I plan on reading up on this, because I just saw it on the ToC).
Templates: Draconic Creature, and... some other dragon-related template (I forget).
Wyrmlings.
Alternate Powers for dragons (suggestions for 'instead of X, use Y'; I think each dragon gets 1; I plan on reading this section).
2. Generally, how is the balance between fluff and crunch?
3. Is there also some PC material in it, or is it just for DMs?
4. Does the book give dragons a bit of utility back which they lost together with their spellcasting abilities or is it just combat powers?
4.1 Any new rituals?
Thanks
__________________ Everything about RPGs is subjective, so everything I say about them is I my opinion and not hard facts
Having a backstory is good. Using this backstory in game is better. And for that you need background skills.
4E, the game where you play HSMFOS
Heroic
Only good, or at least unaligned adventurers are supported and no monster you can fight is good aligned.
Super-
The PCs become masters in any skill automatically and it is impossible for them to be bad at a mundane task
Mutants
Compared to NPCs of the same strength, PCs poses a ungodly amount of HP and can withstand huge mountains of punishment. That or they can spontaneously regenerate wounds.
From Outer Space
Yet despite no matter how powerful the PCs become, they can never do anything special what the "natives" (=NPCs) can do like animating a skeleton.
2. Generally, how is the balance between fluff and crunch?
3. Is there also some PC material in it, or is it just for DMs?
4. Does the book give dragons a bit of utility back which they lost together with their spellcasting abilities or is it just combat powers?
4.1 Any new rituals?
Thanks
1. Table of Contents:
1: Dragon Lore--pgs 4-42
2: DM's Guid to Dragons--pgs44-88
3: Dragon Lairs--pgs90-164
4: New Monsters--pgs166-254
2. Fluff vs. Crunch? I'd say the first two sections of the book are 90% fluff. The Dragon Lairs stuff is more premade encounters/adventure type things, and would be accurately called neither fluff nor crunch. It did include some DM tools for dungeon building not unlike the terrain/trap rules from the DMG. The new monsters section is crunch, but with more fluff than the 4E Monster Manual tends to have.
3. I've given the book a cursory read from cover to cover, and didn't see much of any player info. The one section I recall having player info was using dragon parts as ritual components, but this was optional/under DM discretion.
4. Utility? Not really. I don't think PCs really get the utility stuff you're talking about to the degree you're talking about in 4E, so I don't really see why monsters would. Dragons are described as often using Rituals, but that is about it.
5. There are new rituals, but they seem to be more useful to Dragons than to PCs.
Can someone describe the two new templates? I'm interested if the "draconic creature" template is the 4e half-dragon (I know it became almost cliche in 3.x, but I still want it for a varitey of reasons).
Also, I have a soft spot for the faerie dragon, at least the faerie dragon from previous editions. Is the 4e faerie dragon similar to the previous edition's and how does it relate to chromatic dragons?
__________________ Veronica: Where's your brother?
Dick: I think he took Ghost World up to his room. They're probably up there making love. Or playing Dungeons and Dragons. Or both, at the same time. They're both, like, 12th-level dorks. I'm just sayin'
Can someone describe the two new templates? I'm interested if the "draconic creature" template is the 4e half-dragon (I know it became almost cliche in 3.x, but I still want it for a varitey of reasons).
Also, I have a soft spot for the faerie dragon, at least the faerie dragon from previous editions. Is the 4e faerie dragon similar to the previous edition's and how does it relate to chromatic dragons?
The "draconic creature" template does indeed resemble the Half-Dragon template of old, though its limited to the Brute and Soldier roles.
The Faerie Dragon does have an entry in the Draconomicon. They have almost no connection to chromatic dragons, and while I'm not familiar with the Faerie Dragons of previous editions, the 4E Faerie Dragon is very small. About the size of a dog. Its a level 4 Skirmisher(not elite or solo).
The faerie dragon was a small dragon with butterfly wings, a trickster mentality (and the accompanying magical abilities), and a euphoria gas breath weapon. Is the new one similar?
__________________ Veronica: Where's your brother?
Dick: I think he took Ghost World up to his room. They're probably up there making love. Or playing Dungeons and Dragons. Or both, at the same time. They're both, like, 12th-level dorks. I'm just sayin'
The faerie dragon was a small dragon with butterfly wings, a trickster mentality (and the accompanying magical abilities), and a euphoria gas breath weapon. Is the new one similar?
Small dragon with butterfly wings--check
Trickster mentality--check
Accompanying magical abilities--not so much, its all combat(you could give them rituals/Wizard Cantrips for flavor without any hassle), combat tricks include blinding, teleportation, invisibility, sneak attack
Breath Weapon--is a radiant attack that teleports the dragon or turns it invisible
Small dragon with butterfly wings--check
Trickster mentality--check
Accompanying magical abilities--not so much, its all combat(you could give them rituals/Wizard Cantrips for flavor without any hassle), combat tricks include blinding, teleportation, invisibility, sneak attack
Breath Weapon--is a radiant attack that teleports the dragon or turns it invisible
Close enough. It sounds awesome, though I'm kind of curious why its showing up in a book devoted to Chromatic Dragons.
So, what are the other planar dragons in the book?
__________________ Veronica: Where's your brother?
Dick: I think he took Ghost World up to his room. They're probably up there making love. Or playing Dungeons and Dragons. Or both, at the same time. They're both, like, 12th-level dorks. I'm just sayin'
I physically have the book, and and can answer questions now if people would like.
How does it compare in quality to the 3.5e Draconomicon? That book remains one of my favorites.
__________________ "The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth,
and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again."
Even though The Wheel weaves as The Wheel wills, rest assured James Oliver Rigney, Jr. will NEVER be forgotten.
There's a Dragon article coming out this week (Friday according to the editorial calendar) that is a player-orientated companion piece to the Draconomicon.
__________________ Veronica: Where's your brother?
Dick: I think he took Ghost World up to his room. They're probably up there making love. Or playing Dungeons and Dragons. Or both, at the same time. They're both, like, 12th-level dorks. I'm just sayin'
Yet again, baby dragons with more HP than a warhorse.
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